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Sunday, June 20, 2010

The Flower And The Wasp

One thing I've been trying to do recently is keep things small. What I really mean is that I'm looking for the little things that make nature great. This time I was able to find two little things that make an everyday adventure very pleasant indeed.

The first thing you might notice in my pictures today is the bug that is crawling around on that white flower. The bug appears to be a type of wasp. Now wait. Before you think of the urge to run from a stinging little monster, there are a few kinds of wasp that are harmless to us humans, and even to those of you readers of the feline variety. This may be one of those.

The other thing you are sure to notice is the daisy-like flower that the little wasp is sitting on. This flower and all the others in these pictures are actually called Fleabane. There are two kinds of this plant in my area that I know of. One is Daisy Fleabane, and the other is Common Fleabane. This plant is one of those two, but I'm not good enough with plants yet to know which one. Maybe you know.

Here you can see that the wasp and the flower have become fast friends. They are helping each other survive. You can see the yellow pollen all over the bug's legs, and even on a few other places. They both get to benefit from this. Aren't good friends great?

Sometimes it's the little things in nature that make me happy. Watching a bug crawl around on a flower can be fun and relaxing, especially if you know the bug is there to help the flower. I like to think that all living things are trying to help in some little way. These two help each other. And maybe we humans are in some way the caretakers of the whole planet.

I'm sure there are other caretakers on Earth too, but we are one kind of them. I personally think we are doing a good job. Why? Because we are still alive. All of us, no matter how little some of us think we care, do little things to try to help our world, even if there are mistakes sometimes. I try to look for those little things, no matter how small. It makes me feel good when I find what I'm looking for.

This wasp will soon fly away to another little flower that's no bigger than the cap on a bottle of soda pop. The other flower will gratefully accept its payload of pollen. The wasp may never even know that it's helping the flower. All it may know is that it's collecting valuable food for itself and its young. But its small actions of its own survival are greater than it knows.

I guess our planet really knew what it was doing when it created both of these living things. There is a harmony there that we, being more of the living beings created on this planet, may never full understand. I wonder what purpose the planet created us for. We'll probably never know, just like this little wasp.

12 comments:

I love your pictures. I don't know what type of fleabane that is but I do know that I have some growing between my deck and pool every year. As for why we were created I think that is was so we could inspire and entertain each other through blogging :) That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Fleabane is a beautiful flower and one that bees and other insects are drawn too. Your macros are looking really good.

The relationship between flowers and insects is a very important one, good information. I believe your wasp is not a wasp at all, it looks more like a Yellow-faced bee. Wasp are not as attentive to flowers as are the bees.

Thank you for the upbeat nature of today's post (and for the subtle feline nod). My human has been feeling gloomy for a few weeks and thinking about how we humans are terrible caretakers of the earth. You've reminded her that individually we still can make a difference.

I had fleabane growing in my garden..I wasn't sure what it was, thought it was a weed, and was going to pull it and for some reason left it in...it is now four feet tall and full of those little daisy-like flowers...so I am glad you posted this to tell me what it was. ha

It's amazing the way in which everything co-creates with one another to make a whole, and how harmonious each being is to the other, in turn making it a very important part of a bigger process. I believe that is why we all are here, as part of nature we are all working for the same thing. Great pictures as always and I love observing different creatures of life too, seeing their love spring into action in making things work. Hope you are well, and having the start to a good week.

The Everyday Adventurer

Everyday and every day are commonly confused in English. There’s no difference in pronunciation, but using the wrong one when writing is a mistake in the everyday English language you use every day.

EverydayEveryday is an adjective that means commonplace, ordinary, or normal.

Example: These shoes are great for everyday wear.

Every DayEvery day means "each day."

Example: I go to the park every day.

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I Am The Everyday Adventurer

I am The Everyday Adventurer and I will take you on a journey through nature trails, local places, shops, bridges, parks, hiking, and other adventures. We'll get stranded on a deserted island, and find the way back to civilization. Learn what it's like to get caught in a winter blizzard. See photos of falling snow. A bridge to another world. Hidden rivers, and lakes. A creepy swamp. Wild animals, and strange plants. Who knows? You could discover your own everyday fun. This is a tour of the unknown and magical. We'll travel to Wonderland and back. You'll see the rabbit and the blue caterpillar. You'll even meet Alice. A trip through lost and hidden places. You'll see strange oddities that are rare and wondrous. How about a weird arcade of the bizarre? Or a look through time and history? It's all here. The world waits for you! So look around, and be amazed!